Movie Night
by Frick6101719
Summary: Since returning from Neverland, Henry's been looking for a way to keep occupied that presents minimal threats. He finds his answer in an enormous box of video cassettes from Neal's place, and an old tv up in Emma's room. Many of the tapes are the old Disney classics, and who better to snuggle up and watch them with than the characters themselves?
1. Disney's Peter Pan

**6101719****: So this is something I'm doing as a very spur-of-the-moment kind of experiment. All the references to the characters' movies in the last season of OUaT, plus the recent watching of many classic movies around my house, have provided you with this result. My idea here is to make this sort of a collection of scenes (less stand-alone ish than one-shots, but not quite a story) of Hook and Emma moments surrounding the watching of fairy tales, chief among them being Disney classics. You'll get the idea I hope. I'll give a setting at the beginning of each, just so you know what's up, but overall the setting is that Pan and Henry never switched bodies, so no curse. Things in Storybrooke are relatively quiet. Also, Emma's feelings for Neal aren't anything too crazy. Mary Margaret and David have moved to a house across town, and Emma lives back in the loft. Anyway. On to the first bit.**

* * *

**Setting:** The weather is cooling down in Maine, and even great pirate captains aren't immune to colds. Hook's caught a bad one, and out of sympathy Emma offers him a chance to stay at her place while he gets better, instead of living alone out on the Jolly Roger. Naturally, he accepts. Regina's been busy lately, so Henry's also staying with Emma.

* * *

Emma was up to her elbows in dish suds when she Henry came through the door, a large box in his arms and an even bigger grin on his face.

"Hey Emma," he started casually, "I got this really great idea."

"You did huh? Is this going to become another 'operation' of ours?" She looked up as he stepped out of his shoes, teetering slightly but still not letting go of the box. "What's in there?"

"It's what we're going to need for Operation Normal." He kept his wide smile on his face, beaming up at his mother.

"Okay kid, I'll bite. What's Operation Normal?" She dried her hands on the dishtowel, leaning against the stove expectantly.

Henry made his way over to the kitchen area, plunking the box down on the counter. "You tell me."

Emma picked up one of the old-fashioned video cassettes and frowned. "Beauty and the Beast?" She picked up another. "The Fox and the Hound? Henry these are just Disney movies!"

Henry's grin widened, and Emma started to worry it would freeze that way if he didn't stop. "I know. I thought, since everything's died down with Operation Henry, that we needed a new way to pass the time. A _normal_ way. And Hook can watch too. So what do you say?"

Emma sighed. "So we're just going to watch all these movies? Hook's caught a nasty cold, I'm not sure seeing the Disney incarnation of himself in all his feathered hat, mustache-ticking glory is going to help him recover." She thought about that for a moment. "On the other hand, I think it would make _me_ quite happy, and David as well if he found out..."

"Exactly! Everyone will get a laugh out of the Disney versions of themselves. I mean, they'll finally understand why it took you so long to believe that they were all fairy tale characters."

Emma considered. "Alright, I'm sold. But where are we going to get a tv?"

Henry lifted his chin. "Already taken care of. I asked Neal if he would bring his. It just came with all his stuff from New York, and he said he'd be happy to lend it to us."

Emma looked at her son for a long moment, finally shaking her head with a chuckle. "You sure made a lot of preparations assuming I would say yes, didn't you kid? Do I even want to know where you got a big box full of the old cassettes?"

He smirked. "I have connections."

"Oh you do, do you?"

Henry shrugged nonchalantly. "And pretty much the greatest family ever."

Emma felt her heart soften even more for the boy. "Well, they do love you an awful lot, don't they?"

Henry opened his mouth to respond, but it wasn't his voice that came out.

"Indeed, that they do."

Both mother and son turned towards the sound. Even through a throat raw from coughing, the accented tones were nothing but a pirate's.

"Hook! You're supposed to be resting!" Emma stormed over to where he was leaning against the staircase, far from the bed where he was supposed to be saying.

"Ah but there are so many more interesting things to be doing." He dipped his head and looked up at her through half closed lids, his lips shifting slightly in that seductive way he nearly perfected. Unfortunately for the captain, it didn't mesh well with the sick pallor and reddened nose.

"You're ridiculous, get back in bed or you won't be well enough to watch the movie with Henry and me tonight."

His eyebrows drew together. "Movie?"

"Moving pictures with sound." Henry offered helpfully.

Hook resisted Emma's efforts to drag him back to the bed. "That sounds terrifying."

"What's terrifying is going to be me if you don't get back in that bed."

Hook winked. "As you wish darling."

Emma resisted the heat crawling into her cheeks as well as the urge to remind the man of her twelve-year-old standing a few feet away.

"What movie do you want to watch, Hook?" Henry called from the kitchen. "There's one about you in here." He could be heard rifling through the box. "Actually there's a few."

"Well those are going to be the best ones then I'm sure." He settled back down on the mattress, sighing. "Tuck me in, will you love? That's a good girl."

Emma placed a hand on his forehead. "Rest up. I'm going to run to the stores to get some medicine for you. It's been a couple of days and you don't feel much better. Behave yourselves while I'm gone, okay?" She grabbed her red jacket off the coat peg and headed for the door.

"You don't have to worry about me, Mom." Henry sounded exactly like a twelve-year-old boy as he said it.

"I know." She stepped through the front door, though not before shooting a look at the smirking man in the far corner.

* * *

"Henry?" Emma shut the door as quietly as she could, not bothering to fasten the complicated lock August installed so long ago. She didn't want to wake Hook, in case a miracle had occurred and he was still sleeping. She set the bag of groceries down as she slipped her boots off, deciding she wanted to change into sweats before the movie.

She padded softly over to the staircase, groceries in hand, hearing the sounds of muffled discussion coming from the upper part of the loft. She frowned, noticing now that Hook wasn't in bed where she left him.

Both boy and pirate wore guilty looks as she stepped into her bedroom. They both sat on the floor, the latter wrapped in a blanket, a game of _Sorry!_ well underway between them.

"Hey Emma," Henry started with a shaky smile. "You're home earlier than expected."

"I can see that." She crossed her arms. "Can I not leave you two alone for an hour and expect you to behave? I'd expected more of you Henry."

Hook cleared his throat. "Need I explain that it was my idea to relocate-

"No I expected as much." Emma forced back the smile crawling its way onto her face. "And lucky for Henry, it's _you_ who gets punished for this one." She pulled a brown bottle out of the grocery bag, and Henry immediately started gagging.

"Buckley's! C'mon Emma, he doesn't deserve that! It was my idea too! It's not like Hook knows what _Sorry!_ is anyway!"

Hook just raised an eyebrow, vaguely amused. "Is this some kind of torture mechanism straight from the darkest pits of motherhood?"

Emma unscrewed the lid, grabbing the spoon off of her bedside table. "Something like that."

"I'll get the orange juice." Henry stood, still looking green and guilty about the prospect of Hook enduring such injustice.

Emma leveled off a spoonful of the creamy liquid. "So this is the medicine that's going to make you feel better alright? No matter what happens, just don't spit it out all over the carpet."

Hook quirked an eyebrow, but obediently opened his mouth, not offering to spoon himself the syrup despite being fully capable.

_Not that I mind being responsible for this_, Emma thought, a smirk crawling onto her face. _I'm going to enjoy this far more than I should._

The moment Emma pulled back the spoon, Henry appeared at the top of the stairs, apparently ready to watch the spectacle.

For a millisecond, nothing happened. Then the taste hit and Hook's face immediately contorted. His chest and shoulders heaved instinctively, ready to expel the liquid, but he managed to keep it down, forcing a swallow with all the gracelessness that anyone who had ever taken the syrup can understand.

Without a word, Henry held out the glass of orange juice. Hook accepted gratefully, face still screwed up into a look of pure agony as he downed the entire glass.

The next minute or so was spent solely with Hook making unintelligible gagging sounds as Emma and Henry fought to keep from laughing. Eventually he settled down, leaning back against Emma's daybed, gasping like a landed fish.

"You... sick, twisted... _evil_ woman!" He stared at Emma accusingly. "I did nothing to deserve such punishment!"

Emma smiled. "You can thank me later when you're feeling ten times healthier."

Henry took the glass from the pirate, heading downstairs to put it away.

"Anything that tastes so bloody awful should be banned from all the realms." He wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, and Emma noticed he'd reclaimed his hook from its place on her dresser. "I would rather have my heart squeezed to dust."

Emma chuckled, moving to sit beside him on the floor. "There is no need to be so dramatic. I'm serious; it _will_ work wonders for your cough."

He leaned his head back against the mattress, silent for a moment. Then, "you'll have to find some way to make it up to me."

_Here we go._ "Yeah, whatever."

"Well if you're in accordance then how about we start brainstorming on possible solutions." He adjusted so his forehead was nearly resting on hers. "You'll go first. Don't be afraid to be specific."

Henry came to her rescue then, making his way up the stairs noisily. "Neal's here with the tv. He wants to know if he should bring it up here."

Minutes later, an old box with the VCR built right in sat atop the dresser facing Emma's bed. Neal had left (not before giving Hook his condolences on the torture he was subjected to, if the bottle on the nightstand was any indication) and Emma was cooking pasta for them to eat before the movie.

"So this is the spaghetti Henry was telling me about?" Hook lifted a forkful of noodles and sauce up for inspection. "It looks like bloody intestines."

While Emma looked vaguely green at the comment, Henry turns to the man in astonishment. "Have you seen bloody intestines before?"

"Don't." Emma raised her hands. "Please. Not while I'm trying to eat." She turned her attention back to her plate, missing the enthusiastic nod passed to her son.

"Here, you spin it like this." Henry demonstrated with his own noodles. "It takes a bit of practice."

"I've spent nigh on three hundred years with one hand, lad. Shouldn't be too difficult." And true to his confident nature, he had no problem.

"What do you think?" Henry asked expectantly.

The pirate chewed thoughtfully. "Sure tastes better than bloody intestines."

Emma choked. "That is enough!" She threw down her fork. "I'm going to finish this upstairs." She picked up her plate and marched away.

Henry leaned in and whispered. "No she's not. She's gone to get more of the Buckley's."

Hook stood suddenly. "No need to be rash, love. Come on back. Henry promises to behave himself."

"Come on up when you're finished." She called.

Hook sat back down, continuing to eat the spaghetti quietly. "For the record, lad, I've never eaten bloody intestines."

Henry smiled. "I know. Sometimes it's fun to tease Emma. I get that."

Hook grinned. "There's a good lad. Now let's finish before she starts this movie without us shall we?"

They found Emma laying with her eyes shut on the daybed, the movie paused at the opening credits. She moved upon hearing them enter the room. "I'll be sitting in the middle tonight. If I'm to have any peace watching this it'll only come if you two are separated."

Hook sighed. "Sorry love, I really did try to keep the boy from misbehaving."

Henry snickered.

A smile cracked Emma's face for a split second before she turned her attention to the tv to hide it. "Henry, would you hit play for us please?"

Hook sat down to Emma's right, noticing her change into sweatpants. He looked at his own, borrowed from David, a quizzical look on his face. "Are there benefits to having the ankles drawn together like that?"

"Hm? Oh you mean the elastics. I like the elastics better. You can roll them up more easily if you have to, and you don't have to worry about stepping on them." She put her arm around Henry's shoulders as the movie began to play. "Do you not like yours without them?"

"No, they are quite comfortable. I've just never seen you wear them before."

"Well I wear them when I want to be comfortable."

He leaned in. "And you're not comfortable enough here beside me, is that it love? Because-

"Excuse me, but I am trying to watch this movie." She interrupted. She waited until Hook's attention had been caught by the opening scene before giving his knee a gentle squeeze. She just realised she was on the side opposite his good hand, but despite this (or perhaps because of it) she found herself drawing her arm back and threading it through the crook of his elbow, without a thought.

"It's been centuries since I last saw London." He said quietly, apparently choosing not to comment on the sudden affection. "It looks much prettier done up in drawings like this."

"It's called a cartoon." Henry filled in. "There's one movie about you in here that isn't a cartoon. It's actually called Hook. We can watch it another time."

"Well if it's not a cartoon then what is it?"

"Real people." Henry answered. "They're called actors. They get paid to make movies and act like the characters."

"So I suppose they don't have much killing in those movies eh?" Hook mused.

Henry smiled. "Actually... it's the other way around. The cartoons are usually less violent."

The pirate looked surprised. "How much do they pay a man to die for one of these movies?"

Emma tried to keep the smile off her face as Henry answered. "They don't _actually_ die, they use computers to make it _look_ like they die, when really they're completely fine."

Hook nodded, still clearly confused. "And what's a computer?"

"Just watch your movie, Hook. You'll be on soon." Emma nudged him with her shoulder. "I want to make sure you're paying attention when your character comes on screen."

Hook looked smug. "Aye, as do I. He... who is that?"

Emma pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at the horrified look on Hook's face.

"Bloody hell! Look at him!"

Henry was less successful in smothering his laughter. "Looking good, Captain."

Hook's mouth was ajar. "There are no words."

"Wait until you see your mustache tick." Emma kept her eyes trained on his face as the crocodile came on screen, watching Hook's face melt in horror as his cartoon incarnation did what he did best. She caught herself giggling at the spectacle; something she hadn't done in a long time.

"So I've been stripped of all credibility, not to mention looks, and instead I get a clock-sensitive mustache and a hat bigger than a mainsail."

"The feather's pretty cool though, right?" Henry sounded like he was genuinely trying to help.

"I've never seen one that size or colour, if that's what you mean."

Emma spent most of the movie watching Hook out of the corner of her eye. Disney was one of the fonder memories of her childhood, as it seemed that every foster family she'd ever been in had shown them to her. Sometimes it would be an attempt at making the kids happy, others just to get them to quiet down and stay out of their parents' hair. Regardless, they held a place in her heart, and she found she enjoyed watching them even now, decades later.

Hook, on the other hand, looked torn between being amused and genuinely insulted. He was at least as entertaining to watch as the screen, even when he said nothing.

"I was wondering when my hat was going to blow off." He shook his head, disgusted. "Of course, it would be Pan who took it instead."

_Of course, he's also amusing when he _is_ commenting._ Emma thought.

"Yeah, they sure didn't get _him_ right, did they?" Henry's accompanying laugh was slightly forced, prompting Emma to pull him closer to her.

"No lad, that they didn't." Hook offered a half smile to the boy, which was returned.

"But I think I like watching it still." Henry amended. "It helps me put it behind me, you know? If I just think of it as a story, maybe it'll be easier."

Emma felt her heart breaking for her son. "We'll keep you safe kid." She squeezed his shoulder tenderly. "You don't have to worry."

"It certainly _is_ a kinder tale than reality." Hook agreed. "And I'm not the cricket, but I know nothing good comes from denying what's true." The pirate gave him a fierce look. "You're a brave lad, you'll be able to handle it."

Emma's stomach twisted as she watched her son reward the captain with a dazzling smile. "Thanks Hook."

They were interrupted by a shrieking from the tv set. "Oh look," Hook said dryly. "I now appear to be _inside_ the crocodile's belly. Chasing a clock. Even better."

"Does Mr Smee actually look like that too?" Henry asked jokingly.

"Every bit of him. The real man was a tad more useful though."

Henry laughed again, and Emma tried to think of a time when she'd seen him so happy. It had been so long since they'd had a peaceful mother-son moment, she could hardly think of the last time she hadn't been worried sick for his safety. It felt incredibly relieving to see him well, only inches away.

Something about the man on her other side was similar, though Emma chose not to address that at the moment.

"How are you feeling?" She whispered, leaning close to the pirate's ear so as to not disrupt Henry's rapt attention to the film.

"I'm assuming you don't mean humiliated, since that is rather obvious." His mouth twitched. "I feel much less sick, and though I can't bring myself to give gratitude for that atrocious medication, I must thank you for your willingness to help me. And allowing me to stay here in your home." He turned his head so he was facing her, and once again Emma noticed his unsettling talent for encroaching on her personal space unnoticed. The edges of his tousled black hair were brushing her forehead in a decidedly uncomfortable way. Yet she didn't draw back.

"You're welcome."

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, in a smirk Emma was beginning to recognise as the precedent to a certain brand of comment of his. "However, if gratitude is in order..."

Emma did pull back here, tossing him a look. Hook returned a look of his own, consisting mainly of a devilish grin and abominable eyebrow movement.

"I think you'll like the real-life version better." Henry stated as the end credits began to roll. He stood to rewind the movie, handing Hook the case to the Steven Spielberg film. "It's named after you this time."

"That movie's actually older than you, kid." Emma mused. "But wow, check out that mustache!"

"Not to mention his eyebrows." Hook scowled.

"And the curly wig." Henry added. "We'll have to watch this one tomorrow night."

"I'm not sure how much more of this I can bear." Hook said with a short laugh. "Of course we shall."

"Perfect. I'm going to go look through the other movies. I didn't get through them all when Neal gave me the box." He took the stairs at a dangerous speed. "There were at least forty in there!"

Emma turned to face Hook. "You don't have to indulge him you know."

The captain smiled. "I rarely do anything but what suits me. I enjoyed this evening, Emma."

She squirmed slightly, trying to avoid the look in his eyes. "He's right I think. You probably will like that one better."

Hook seemed to accept her changing of the subject. "And why is that?"

"Well, you don't have a scene where you dance on the nose of a snapping crocodile, for starters."

"Always a good start."

Her lips turned up slightly. "In fact, the crocodile is already killed and stuffed by the time Peter Pan gets to Neverland."

"Even better." He grinned. "How long was Pan gone for?"

"Long enough to get married and have two kids. And become a lawyer. A boy named Rufio took over for him. Pan seemed to have been the better leader though." She looked away. "At least, in the story."

Hook frowned. "I didn't know they knew about Rufio."

Emma looked surprised. "_He _was real too?" She rolled her eyes. "I should have known. What happened to him?"

Hook panicked for a split second. "Story for another time, love."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Well, in the movie you kill him."

The slightest of grins tugged at one corner of his mouth. "It's not a tale for when the boy is nearby."

"He's been through hell, I think he could handle it."

The captain looked away. "What he endured was, in no small part, my doing. I have no wish to cause you or yours more pain."

"Hook..."

"I regret my actions, Emma." He turned his gaze to meet with hers. "I don't wish to ruin this evening with this talk though darling. Please."

For the second time that evening, Emma felt her heart tearing. She stood. "Alright. I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Ah yes. I'll have to remember to keep a bottle of that medication on the Jolly Roger to keep the crew in line."

"They'll be healthy, at least."

Hook grinned. "And more importantly, well-disciplined."

Emma started down the stairs. "Speaking of discipline, don't think I've forgotten all your misbehaving today. You were supposed to be staying in bed all day."

"Perhaps that would have been an easier command to obey were it not so lonely—

"Nice try." Emma cut him off. "Not going to happen."

Though he was still behind her and she could see nothing, Emma knew he was smirking. "Don't expect that to deter me, love."

"Oh I don't." Emma exaggerated a sigh.

Henry looked up at them as they came into the kitchen. "Snow White's in here! We _have_ to watch that one with Mary Margaret and David."

Emma smiled. "Tell you what kid. We can make this a weekly event, up in my room, so long as the movie nights start before nine."

Henry raised his eyebrows. "Nine?" Everything about his expression said _you've got to be kidding me._

"On special occasions, a case could be made for an exception." She adopted her best diplomatic expression. "You can invite whoever you want, within reason. Just check with me before a dozen people show up at my door, okay?"

"Nine?"

"Hey! It's a bedtime for my sake. I don't even want to think about when you're a teenager. Staying up till all hours of the night." She shuddered.

"S'okay lad. Apparently I'm subjected to this 'bedtime' too." Hook consoled. "Speaking of, in the name of obedience, I'll be off."

"Night Captain." Henry offered a smile and a wave as Hook made his way to the other corner of the room.

"Night lad."

The moment he was out of earshot, Henry rounded on his mother. "How long is he staying?"

Emma stepped back. "Slow down there! I don't know. Until he gets better? Why? Do you want him gone?" For some reason, this idea bothered her.

The boy's smile was one his mother didn't completely understand. "No, it's just I was curious. I think it was nice of you to offer to take care of him."

Emma's face softened. "Thanks kiddo. I just... I remember times being sick and having to take care of myself. It's one of the worst feelings in the world."

"That's why you're such a great mom." He hugged her.

The affection, though unexpected, gave Emma a warm feeling inside. "Thanks kid." She smoothed the back of his hair, not allowing herself to regret not having had more moments like this with her son.

Henry pulled back. "Do you think he'll be better by our next movie night?"

"I would imagine so. I'm no doctor, but he should be better in a couple days."

"Okay." Another one of his smiles. "I was just trying to figure out if I was going to need to invite him to get him to come."

"Well if you don't scare him away with another movie about himself tomorrow night, I think that he'll be back." Henry's yawn prompted her to check the clock. "Would you look at that. Nine o'clock and someone's already sleepy." She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I think Hook's out cold."

"I heard that lad."

The pair in the kitchen shared a knowing look. "Looks like it's bedtime for all of us then." Emma squeezed Henry's shoulder gently. "Night kiddo."

"Night Mom."

He raced up the stairs to his bedroom, in high gear, just as always.

Emma turned to the corner. "Goodnight Hook."

"Sleep tight love."

There was a small part of her with more to say. But not that night.

* * *

**6101719:**** So tell me what you think, if you would be so kind. As I said before, this is going to be kind of one-shotty, so if you wanted to throw some ideas at me, that'd be pretty cool. As is, I've got scenes floating around involving The Princess Bride, Hook laughing at Charming's incarnation in Snow White, some skating lessons, a very emotional Lion King, and maybe even some pieces aboard the J.R. But nothing's for sure yet, so feedback is appreciated!**


	2. Disney's Snow White - Part 1

**6101719****: So this is a bit of a filler chapter, because the entire Snow White ordeal was way too long to fit into one chapter. As is, this is like a thousand words more than the last one. But the next chapter should be up real soon. I wrote it all at once and saw how huge it was, so I cut it in half (roughly) and fixed it up into two. I just have to edit the next bit. Hopefully that'll only take a little while, and the other half will be up later today *crosses fingers***

**Until then, enjoy!**

* * *

**Setting:** A week after the first movie night and Henry's back living with Regina, but spending a lot of time with Emma and his grandparents.

* * *

The diner was empty on a quiet Thursday morning, save for Ruby organising the back shelf behind the counter. Granny had just recently bought a new set of milkshake glasses, and there wasn't quite enough room for all of them, necessitating a bit of creative re-shelving.

Ruby didn't mind the monotony of the work so much. There was a time when all she wanted was excitement, but she found that now that thing were back to a calm, slow pulse, Storybrooke was exactly the town she wanted it to be.

And it was so good to have everyone home and safe from Neverland. Ruby had worried endlessly for her friends while they were gone, spending many nights curled up in her living room with Belle, reading old novels and Kleenex boxes for the heartsick princess. And it made her feel even better to know that as happy as she might be, Belle's sentiment completely eclipsed her own.

Ruby was smiling at this thought when she heard the bell over the door chime. Turning from the back wall, she saw Henry Mills waving as he shut the door.

"Hey Henry! What's up?" Ruby put down the glasses in her hand to return the wave.

"Hey Ruby." The twelve-year-old hopped up on one of the barstools. "I'm here to invite you to a movie night tonight."

Ruby lifted a hand to her heart. "Me? Oh Henry I would love to! May I have some details?" She leaned down on the other side of the counter, chin in her hand.

Henry did the same. "Well, I got an old box of movies from my dad a week ago, and tonight we wanted to watch Snow White. Most people here haven't seen them, even Mary Margaret and David."

Ruby smiled widely. "I think that sounds like a great idea! Where is this being hosted?"

"I think at Emma's house."

Her smile disappeared. "The loft? How many people are coming?"

Henry counted. "Hm... well my family is six of us, and then you and Granny, Hook, and of course we have to invite the dwarves—

Granny whistled, appearing in the doorway. Both heads turned to face her. "Sounds like an awful lot for a small place!"

Henry's smile fell. "You're right. Well, do we know of anyone who could host it instead?"

Granny and Ruby looked at each other. Neither wanted to see Henry's plans fail. _This poor kid just got back from being kidnapped, _Ruby thought. _The least he should deserve is an opportunity to watch a movie with his friends and family._

Granny snapped her fingers. "I have just the idea. Let me give Leroy a call and I'll get back to you." She disappeared into the back room.

Ruby offered a consolatory smile. "I'm sure it'll work out. If we're involving the dwarves then I can't see how it would fail." She stood. "But in the meantime, how about a milkshake while we wait for Granny? On the house." Granny had long ago given Ruby licence to give Henry anything he wanted for free from the diner. There were perks to being the boy who saved the town.

"Thanks Ruby." Henry accepted the frozen treat a moment later. He drank a few sips, his expression thoughtful. "Can I ask you something Ruby?"

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Sure, what do you want to know?"

She could have sword a slight blush crept onto Henry's cheeks. "What do you know about being in love?"

Ruby felt her already-raised eyebrows shoot up into her hairline. "Love? Oh… wow. That's not what I was expecting you to say. Um, well for starters, it's… often not what you would imagine." She thought back to all those years ago, when she had been in love. How long ago was it, anyway? Thirty years at least. _I don't think Henry could have asked a worse person for this sort of advice,_ Ruby thought worriedly. _Especially when his grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming._

Henry nodded, and Ruby could practically see him taking notes in his head. "So you've been in love then?"

A sad smile creased her face. "Yeah, I was once." She felt something at the back of her throat starting to clench. Instead she put on her best business face. "What do you need to know?"

"Well, for starters, why do people fall in love?"

Ruby chuckled. "Isn't that the question we all want answered." She thought about it for a long time, trying to hide her own lack of experience with the examples she'd seen around her. "Well, I'm no expert, but I think… I think people fall in love because love is one of the greatest things in the world. Love isn't perfect, but if it's true love, then it makes you a better person. I mean, look at Regina. She was the evil queen. But as she grew to love you, she became a better person. And look at all the good things she was able to do because of that love? So, I think people fall in love because, in their hearts, people want to be good. They might not think they have any good in them, but that's just because they can't see it. When someone else brings out the good in you, well I guess that's part of what love is. And that's an amazing thing to do for someone." She looked down, feeling embarrassed. "But I don't know too much about love."_It's best to be honest;_ hadn't Ruby learned that lesson the hard way?

Henry reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "I think you know a lot more than you think. That was super helpful. One more question." An impish grin lit across his cheeks. "If you wanted to… create the opportunity for two people to fall in love, how could you do that?"

Ruby was touched by the boy's sincere compliment, but couldn't avoid wondering about that sly smile of his. "Well, like I said, a lot about love is seeing the good in someone, even when they might not be so sure it's there, so you would have to make them see it. But that means different things for different people. When I was in love, it just sort of… happened. One day I just woke up and realised that the thing I wanted most was to be with him. Other people are thrown together, and they suffer through hard times and become _everything_ to each other. Snow and Charming were kind of like that. They started helping each other, and then before you knew it they were swearing to _always_ be there to help each other, even when things looked impossible. Sometimes it just hits you in an instant, when you realise that your whole world has just been turned upside down. Your heart gets pounding and you feel like a light started shining." Ruby smiled, thinking of Belle's story with Rumple. It had been like that. Glimpses of a man behind the monster, showing her she would be wrong to assume she'd known anything about him before.

Henry looked thoughtful. "So what you're saying is that there's no way to be sure two people are going to fall in love, right?"

"There's no recipe for love, kid." Granny emerged from the back room, a recipe book in hand as if to prove her point. "But it looks like you're in luck; we've got the next best thing lined up for tonight."

"What?" Ruby and Henry asked simultaneously.

Granny smiled. "A drive-in movie. Of sorts. There's an old warehouse down by the docks, and Leroy said it's got electricity. We've got a projector, here, and he says it won't be too hard to wire a VCR up to it, with some speakers of his. The back wall facing the Atlantic will be a perfect screen."

Ruby gasped. "A drive-in? Really Granny, you worked it out?" She looked ready to burst with excitement. _This is _exactly_ the kind of thing the new Storybrooke could use!_

The old woman only smiled, causing Ruby to shriek excitedly.

She raced around the counter to the boy. "Henry, this is perfect! Have you ever been to a drive-in movie before?" She grabbed his wrists, barely able to contain herself.

Henry shook his head, confused. "No, what are they?"

"A movie, up on a huge screen, with old-fashioned popcorn and drinks, and people drive there in their cars and bring blankets and they sit in the cars, or on the ground all wrapped up and snuggled and it's one of the sweetest things in the world." She twirled him right off the stool, leaning in to whisper. "And romantic, if you've got some romancing to do." A wink punctuated her words.

Granny chuckled and left them in the diner, muttering about how Henry was too young for girls. The boy waited until she left before whispering to Ruby. "I need you to keep a secret."

"What's her name?" Ruby's excitement had grown since Granny's announcement of the drive-in. Henry was like the little brother of the entire town. She just _had_ to know who had caught his attention.

"It's not what you think. This isn't about me." He took a deep breath. "It's about Emma."

Ruby felt her excitement dwindle. "Are you being a matchmaker or what?" She raised an eyebrow, no less intrigued than before, even if she was more cautious about the subject.

"You could say that." Henry looked serious. "You can't tell her what I'm doing though, okay? It's important."

Ruby nodded emphatically. "Never. But I do have a concern." She tightened her grip on his wrists, trying to think of how to phrase what she had on her mind. "I know you might be excited about both your parents living in Storybrooke now, and I get that. I'm just worried about how messing with them could turn out." She smiled sympathetically. "Am I wrong again?"

Henry nodded. "Yep."

Ruby exhaled, obviously relieved. "Good. I would hate to see you get hurt—

"It's about Hook."

Ruby stopped abruptly. "…You're full of surprises today, aren't you?" She took a deep breath. "That may even be worse, honestly." The look on her face told Henry just what the waitress thought of the dashing pirate captain.

"He's not who you think," Henry insisted. "I don't know what happened, but things are different since Neverland. He helped rescue me… and I think maybe he might be a good guy now. Or at least not evil."

Ruby had to smile at the kid's way of organising all the black and white in his mind. And she had to admire that even at twelve, he had matured enough to spot the grey areas, and more than acknowledge them, but even appreciate them. "Well maybe he's not a super-villain anymore," she chose her words carefully, "but I wouldn't want to be too hasty about any romances between him and your mother."

Henry's lips turned up slightly. "Okay. But you still won't tell anyone about this, right?"

Ruby crossed an X over her chest, above her heart, knowing she was telling the truth. "Promise."

* * *

"Emma! Change of plans for Operation Normal!" Henry waited on the mat for his mother to materialise at the bottom of the stairs in her apartment. "You're never gonna guess what Granny did for me."

Emma wrapped the oversized knitted cardigan tighter around her torso. "Oh? Well then you'll have to tell me."

"Have you ever been to a drive-in movie?"

Emma raised an eyebrow. "I didn't even think you would know what that was. I've been to one or two, yeah. How did you manage to pull this one off?"

Henry smirked. "Connections."

Emma shook her head, an inquisitive stare directed at her son. "Well, where are these 'connections' going to be playing this drive-in movie?"

"At an old warehouse by the docks. Leroy's setting it up right now. But as the creators of Operation Normal, I think it's our job to tell everyone about it. Granny said she'll tell everyone at the diner, and I already called your parents. But we should make sure to invite Mr Gold and Belle, and Regina, Archie, and Hook of course."

Emma wasn't sure how she felt about the "of course" thrown in at the end. It had been nearly a week since she'd seen the pirate, when he'd moved back onto his ship after recovering from his nasty bout with the cold. But she _had_ told Henry he could invite him back to the next installment in their movie nights. "Alright. Well, why don't we head to Mr Gold's shop right now and tell him about the drive-in." She grabbed her boots and car keys from beside the door.

"Sounds good."

Minutes later the bell was chiming above the door to Rumplestiltskin's store. Belle was at the front desk, greeting them with a warm smile.

"Hello you two," she came around the counter. "What can I do for you?"

Henry stepped forward. "There's a drive-in movie tonight by the docks, and we were wondering if you and Mr Gold wanted to come. We're watching Snow White, at seven."

The woman's eyebrows shot up. "Are you? Well that sounds like a fitting choice if ever I heard one. I'll talk to Mr Gold, but I think you'll see us there."

"Is he out right now?" Henry looked towards the back of the shop, not seeing anyone.

Belle nodded. "He's helping Baelfire move into his apartment. Another shipment of his things came from New York this morning."

"Well he's welcome to come too." Emma added. "Everyone's welcome, actually. But we wanted to personally invite you, since you _are_ family after all." Emma wrapped an arm around Henry's shoulder.

Belle looked touched. "Well thank you. That means a lot." Her smile, Emma decided, was one of the most genuine things she'd ever seen.

"You're welcome." Henry beamed. "But we have a lot to do this afternoon to get ready, so we should probably go."

Belle nodded, understanding. "Then I won't keep you. Thanks for stopping by, and I'll be sure to tell Bae and Rumple about your invitation."

Back in the bug, Emma and Henry made quick rounds to Dr. Hopper's office before heading to Regina's, where they learned that the mayor was not home.

"That's weird," Emma frowned. "I thought your mom didn't work late on Thursdays."

Henry looked less puzzled. "Today must have been a special case." He opened the door with a key from his pocket, a key Emma had never seen before. "Well I can just stay here and wait for her to come home to tell her. I'm sure she'd like to hear it from me instead of just a note anyway." He stepped inside, turning to face Emma without inviting her in. "Hook's the only one we haven't gone to see yet. But you can handle him without me, right?"

Emma searched his eyes for the mischief she knew had to be there. Henry was the real driving force behind all their Operations, and seldom left her to her own devices when he had another choice. But she saw nothing, which unnerved her. "Alright kid. But if Regina doesn't come home too soon," she held up her walkie-talkie, "let me know, and I'll come get you. Hate for you to miss the second installment in Operation Normal."

Henry agreed before closing the door without ceremony. Emma felt her frown deepen. He _was _up to something. She was sure of it.

Regardless, she was out at the piers minutes later. The Jolly Roger was much easier to spot now that it was visible, but Emma found that made it seem more intimidating.

_Even for a pirate, it seems like a weird thing to do; live in a boat when there's a whole town right here._ Emma made her way up the gangplank, looking around for the ship's captain. She didn't see him on the main deck, so she moved towards where she knew Hook's quarters were, calling his name.

The captain's cabin was much as she remembered it when Henry had been there on their journey back from Neverland, but somehow cozier. Blankets lay piled on the hastily-made bed, strewn across the back of the chair, and an old, thick rug lay on the floor. The windows were closed tightly and rags were shoved between the shutters, keeping out any natural light but what came through the open door and a lamp sitting on the desk.

Emma turned to look for the captain in another part of the ship, satisfied he wasn't in his rooms. She decided he might be in the hold, and was about to go check when a call from the rigging nearly scared her out of her wits.

"Snooping about my ship, are we Swan?"

Her hand reached for her gun without a thought, before she even realised that David had taken the day as Sherriff and she'd left the weapon locked up at home. She craned her neck up to the source of the sound, noticing Hook at an unsettling height on the mast nearest her, leaning casually against the huge beam.

"I was looking for you!" The words were out of her mouth before she remembered who she was talking to. She sighed, knowing Hook couldn't hear the regret at her poor choice of words.

"Ah, well I knew you could only stay away for so long!"

She didn't need to be able to see him to know he was likely making ridiculous faces as he spoke. "I came with a message from Henry!" She clarified. "What are you doing up there?"

"Work needed done up on the royal mizzie!" He shouted, starting the climb down at what appeared to be a reckless speed, even for a man with two hands. "Yards acting up."

"I have not any idea what that means." Emma shouted back. "But I get the working part. Is it fixed now?"

Hook hit the deck a moment later. "Aye. And that's the mizzenmast, mizzie for short." He pointed at the mast he'd just dropped from. "The main mast is the one in the middle, foremast at the front."

"Let no one ever accuse me of going a day without learning." Emma deadpanned. "Looks like you'll have a pirate out of me yet."

Hook laughed. "There's a bit more to it than just knowing the difference between those three, darling." He made his way over to where she was standing, than infernal grin still stretched across his face. "Your boy said he wanted a tour sometime. Maybe he'll be able to teach you the ropes." He laughed at her bitter reaction to the pun. "Speaking of the boy, what's the message you have for me.?"

"We're having another movie night tonight, and he wanted you to come."

Hook smiled fondly. "Who's the unlucky star of this one?"

"Mary Margaret and David. And Regina too, I guess. It's the story of Snow White, at least in the same sense as Peter Pan was the story of Neverland." She offered a wry grin, having not forgotten any of the captain's exclamations about the inaccuracies.

"Well I can't say no to the boy. Unless, of course, you'd be interested in getting creative to convince me." He grinned, not giving her time to offer a rebut. "But otherwise I have no excuse. And I'd be honoured to join you again."

"It's a little different than last time, actually. We wanted everyone to be able to see it, so we're setting up a drive-in. It's like a movie on a huge screen outside." She explained, noticing his raised eyebrow. "It's at a warehouse near here. Leroy's setting up now, and Granny and Ruby are bringing popcorn and drinks to sell."

Hook was still doing a rather ineffective job of hiding his confusion. "Is this some sort of tradition in this realm?"

Emma smiled. "Something like that. People bring their cars and watch from inside them, or they bring blankets and sit on the ground if it's warm enough. I've been to a couple before. It's a staple date night from the sixties, pretty much."

More eyebrows. "A date, you say?"

Emma hadn't realised that was among the words he'd picked up on since being in Storybrooke. Her initial response was to flush slightly, not helping her situation any. "You know what, you can call it what you want. Henry told me to invite you, so here I am."

"Well as much as I should like to think of it as a date, from what you've told me, I understand there is little exclusive about your invitation." Emma couldn't tell if he was purposely letting her see his slight dejection or if she was just getting better at reading him.

"Yeah, you're right, but we would still like you to come. It'll be a lot of fun. Just bring some of those blankets from your cabin, it's going to get chilly tonight." Emma crossed her arms, searching for an appropriate way to end the conversation.

Thankfully, Hook made no suggestive comments involving his cabin and keeping warm, despite the ample material Emma had presented him with. He only smiled. "As I said love, I would be honoured to join you. Are you making your way to this warehouse now to see to preparations?"

Emma saw her opportunity. "You know, I wasn't going to, but that's a good idea. I'd hate for Leroy to have to do all that by himself. Wanna come?" This lastly came without any real consideration on Emma's part. But once the offer was out there, she could not bring it back. She didn't mind as much as she thought she might have.

Hook looked as surprised as she at the invitation. "Indeed, I think I would. I'll bring those blankets now. And perhaps change into something more suited to… what did you call it?"

"A drive-in."

Hook nodded. "I'll only be a moment, love." He disappeared to his cabin, leaving Emma without much to do but idly look around the ship. Which she found she rather enjoyed, now that it wasn't in a storm or being pulled through the air by a demon shadow.

The first thing she noticed was how clean the whole thing looked. The deck had been stained with blood and grime from the trip, but now looked even-toned and well-waxed. The ropes that had been slightly brown and frayed all looked to have been recently replaced, and even the sails seemed crisper and fresher-looking.

Something about this struck a chord with Emma. Hook didn't strike her as the overly-meticulous type. Sure, he loved his ship, and was always precise in his care of her, but this seemed to reach beyond being a good captain. This much cleaning would have taken a lot of time for just one man.

_That's because _time_ is something he has an awful lot of these days._ A voice spoke up. _He doesn't have family here, after all, or even friends really. What else would he do all day besides take care of the _Jolly?_ She's the only one he's really familiar with in this whole town._

Emma felt a pang in her chest as this sunk in. _He's lonely,_ she thought, feeling slightly guilty and more than a little sympathetic. She thought back to their conversation, noticing that there were a few times when Hook could have cracked his signature brand of joke, but refrained. _He was trying to keep things amiable._ She realised. _He knows how I get tired of his smart remarks, so he didn't make them. He didn't want to ruin it, however brief our conversation may have been._ She may have been overthinking it slightly, but when the man in question emerged, one look at his optimistic expression and Emma didn't think she'd been too far off-mark. He wore stony blue jeans with a rip in one knee and a plain black hoodie, neither piece one she'd seen before. Not a stitch of leather in sight, only yards and yards of plaid fabric in his arms; the blankets she'd mentioned. He was almost unrecognizable.

Then he noticed her appraisal, responding with a sly wink that abolished any confusion about just _who_ Emma was dealing with.

She offered her car for a place to keep the blankets, opting to walk the short distance to the warehouse.

The moment Emma set sight on the place she knew that it had been perfectly chosen. The warehouse had been three stories, made out of solid whitewashed brick, with neatly boarded windows. One of the dwarves, Emma couldn't tell which from the distance, was meticulously painting those boards to match the walls, providing an even screen for the projector, which was currently being fiddled with by Doc and Leroy.

The lot itself was huge, with an old wooden fence surrounding the sand and grass square. The remaining dwarves were tearing down the a section of the enclosure nearest Emma and Hook, allowing cars to come right from the road into the lot.

Leroy was in full project-mode when the pair of them went to offer their assistance. His demeanor was not unlike that of a drill sergeant, and though Emma understood the importance of a quick and thorough job, she had to fight to keep the smile off her face as he barked and hollered for the others to kick it into high gear.

As per the dwarf's instruction, Emma and Hook set to work inside the building with Ruby, who was trying to clean a large room to sell the refreshments from. She seemed surprised to see the pirate with her friend, but she masked it well behind the brooms she handed to the two of them.

The three made quick work of the room, wiping down tables and wiring up some Christmas lights, since there were no real lights in the room. Emma thought it added a sweet, quaintness to the otherwise drab atmosphere. And the lights were dim enough to hide the stained floor and old walls.

By the time Granny, Mary Margaret and David arrived with the popcorn machine and drink cooler, it was just after sunset and an hour before the movie started at seven. The rest of the preparations finished quickly, leaving all those involved free to find a place to relax for the show.

Emma checked with Henry via walkie-talkie to make sure he was getting a ride with Regina before heading back to her car with Hook to get the blankets they'd left earlier. They were just driving back to the lot when Henry buzzed back.

_"Emma?"_

Hook grabbed the contraption off the dash, having closely observed Emma working with it before. "It's Hook lad. What's the matter?"

_"Oh, hey Hook. Um, well my mom's not too sure how this movie is going to go over, since she was the evil queen and all."_

Hook grinned. He remembered Charming and Snow's faces when they learned just who this movie was about a short while ago. And he knew better than anyone how the villains got it worse than the heroes.

The boy continued. _"So I told her I would sit with her to make her feel better, but I didn't want Emma to be sitting alone."_ A crackle of static. _"Is that okay?"_

"I'll be fine Henry." Emma leaned over to call into the box. "I think it's a good idea that you sit with Regina for this one."

"I'll take care of her for you lad." Hook winked at Emma as he spoke through again.

"We'll be nearby." Emma added, giving a pointed look to her passenger.

_"Okay. Thanks guys. See you soon!"_

They reached the lot in that same instant, Emma parking the bug smack in the middle of the square, facing the side. She took out the old picnic blanket she'd brought from home, laying it out beside the bug, on the side facing the screen. She sat down on the soft ground, leaning back on the driver's door, eyes shut.

"You planned this out rather well, didn't you darling?" Hook sat down on her left, depositing one of the blankets onto her lap. "Shall your parents be joining us this evening?"

"Not sure." Emma wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. "They might want to enjoy a date by themselves."

"So father dearest won't be around to keep me at a distance." Hook's voice conveyed all the rotten charm Emma didn't see with closed eyes. "Wonderful."

"Well don't get any ideas. You might be getting your own date but that's it." Another gust of wind blew through, and Emma found the blanket was doing little to help.

"Emma darling, you've got the thing upside down." She opened her eyes to see the captain's frown, his right hand picking up one corner of the blanket condescendingly. "Allow me." He spun the cover around, remarkably quick for the angle at which he was working, and tugged the two sides of the blanket around her again. "There you are. It has a slit down the middle to allow you to wrap it." He brought one of the flaps around from one shoulder to the other, creating a sort of poncho. "It looks lovely. Does it feel warmer?"

It did, but Emma wasn't sure how much should be attributed to the blanket and how much she owed to Hook's proximity. She only nodded. "Thanks."

"Anything for you love." Hook settled back against the car, wrapping his own blanket similarly before placing a third across their legs. "You don't mind?"

_Gentleman._ The word appeared with a soft puff of wind through the lot, reminding her of the complications of the man to her left. "No, thank you."

"Do you feel warm enough?"

Emma was wary of what response her answer might reward her with. "Yeah, I feel fine."

"Good. I'd hate to have to move much closer and leave your father's good graces after only having been there shortly."

The lack of suggestiveness in Hook's response surprised Emma. She remembered again her earlier speculation about why he was acting strangely, and decided to test those waters. "So, what have you been up to since last week?" She casually tucked the walkie-talkie under the blanket, watching Hook's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

He looked taken aback, but only for a moment. "Oh nothing spectacular. That sickness left me rather tired, so a few days I spent doing as little as possible." He ran his index finger around the curve of his hook, seeming distracted. "I kept busy." He turned a look on her that was entirely suggestive of the kind of busy he preferred to be, but again, Emma found it lackluster compared to his normal retorts.

"Well, when you get bored with whatever business you have on your ship, you can always come to town." She kept her tone casual, knowing Hook and his ego wouldn't want her to outright tell him she knew he was lonely.

Hook laughed. "What makes you think I've been staying away? I have no interest in the town, darling. But thank you for your generous offer."

His flippant manner referring to the town felt abrasive to Emma. She narrowed her eyes. "You might not have been welcome before. And I'm the sheriff. I would have known you were here."

"The crocodile's not trying to kill me anymore, love, nor I him. I could have kept a low profile." He still wore that superior smirk.

Emma bristled. "I would know because it's my job. Most of the town still doesn't trust you, because most of the town wasn't in Neverland to see a man any different than the one who shot Belle over the line." Hook winced, though it was barely perceptible. "Don't try to make me sound stupid because I know better than them."

He turned to look at her, arrogance gone. "As you wish, darling." He looked away, facing the screen that was undergoing picture checks. "And thank you."

It was quiet, but Emma couldn't keep the smile off her face.


	3. Disney's Snow White - Part 2

**6101719****: I know I said this was going to be up last night, and I am very sorry. I had to go to work last night and again this morning *gags* and then I had to write an essay. Fortunately, it wasn't the ten-thousand-word essay I thought it was going to be (only three, and I can't tell you HOW ecstatic I was to learn that). In other news, when I cut this movie in half I really cut it into 5.5k and 2k. So I had some bulking up to do. Here we are, regardless, and I hope it's good :) I've gotten so many follows and reviews it's been staggering. I feel so happy, and would like to thank every single one of you for all the smiles you've given me.**

**Without further ado, Snow White part two**

* * *

**Setting: same as last time.**

* * *

It was quarter to seven, and groups of people began making their ways to spots for their vehicles or blankets, many more people than Emma had thought would come.

She spotted Mother Superior and another nun she didn't recognize beside the dwarves' cube van, and Geppetto and Pinocchio nearby as well, the woodcarver and Archie deep in friendly conversation. Gold and Belle were stationed near to one side, and Emma felt her heart warm to see Neal with them, looking like he was actually getting along with his father. She smiled and returned the wave Belle sent their way, catching the attention of Neal, who offered a small smile and wave himself, though not without pause. It seemed as if everything in Storybrooke was starting to come together again. Families reunited, enemies achieving a common ground, and here they all were, in one lot, and no one was in danger or worrying about a thing.

She turned back to the screen, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Hook was sitting rather oddly still. _I guess not everything is perfect._"Do you want popcorn or a drink or something?" She stood slowly, not wanting to leave the warmth of the blankets, though for refreshments she could do it.

Hook lifted his flask. "Already taken care of, thank you." His grin was somewhat lacking in its usual honest charm. "And I don't know what popcorn is."

Emma stopped abruptly. "Then you are having some. Granny's popcorn will change your life." He still wasn't at ease. _I thought we just worked things out? What's up with him now?_ Emma walked away without another word, temporarily giving up on trying to sort Hook out.

Ruby, Granny, Mary Margaret and Henry were the only ones in the warehouse when Emma got there. The popcorn machine was empty, but Granny was in the process of making some more.

Emma knew better than to bother her while she was cooking, even if it was just popcorn. She turned to Ruby with a smile, asking about a bottled coke.

"Are you not getting one for Hook?" Emma noticed that despite the overflowing snacks in her son's arms, the mischief on his face was in plain sight. He looked expectant, as if he was disappointed in her for not getting anything for the pirate.

"He said he didn't want any." There was a slight look that passed between Ruby and Henry. "But he's never tried Granny's popcorn, so no matter what he says he's getting some of that."

"Well I'll make it a large then." Ruby said, sliding a piece of paper across to Granny. "I've been smelling the stuff for an hour, and it's been torture. You'll need lots for two people."

Henry nodded emphatically. "Mom will be waiting for me. See you around Ruby. Bye Emma." That look again. _What is he up to?_ Emma watched her son's retreating back, utterly perplexed.

The mouth-watering aroma of Granny's popcorn started seeping into the air, as well as the tell-tale popping, like music to Emma's ears. She felt Mary Margaret sidle up beside her.

"So is it you or my grandson that I have to thank for this movie choice?"

"Oh, it was all Henry's idea." Emma declared. "But don't feel too picked on. I'm sure all our turns will come. He's got a whole box back at the loft, full of the old Disney movies." She smiled knowingly at her mother. "I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg."

"You're probably right about that." Ruby affirmed. "He seemed so excited about the idea of a drive-in, I haven't seen him stop smiling all day. I have a suspicion that he'll be getting the dwarves and Granny to set this up as often as possible."

Mary Margaret shook her head, chuckling. "Well then I guess I'll just have to grin and bear it. What other movies does he have in there?"

Emma tried to recall some of the titles she'd seen while rifling through the box earlier that week. "Well Beauty and the Beast, which will probably be pretty interesting, and Pinocchio, and Aladdin, The Princess Bride, Cinderella, and lots more that I don't remember." Emma shrugged. "I recognised the classics mostly. There were a lot there that I've never seen either."

Mary Margaret sighed. "I love The Princess Bride. I haven't seen it in ages though. And I don't think I've seen any of the Disney movies."

"I guess that's the trouble with arriving in this world as an adult." Ruby said. "We missed out on a lot of the best parts of this world."

"Yeah, Disney does seem to be the highlight of most kids' childhoods." Emma agreed. "Henry's seen them all I think."

"Well he sure seems excited about this one." Granny plunked down a bucket of popcorn on the counter, tucking the bills Emma gave into her apron. "Does he have a favourite?"

A pang of regret shot through Emma's gut. She didn't know these sorts of things. _It's what happens when you miss eleven years of a kid's life._ She thought sadly. _I'll just have to make up for lost time._ "I don't know, actually. I guess we'll see what happens though, if he's trying to turn this movie night into a town-wide tradition."

"I think that's such a great idea." Mary Margaret looked out the door of the warehouse. "I mean look at all these people. Everyone's getting along, and we finally have some semblance of peace. It's what this town needs."

Ruby nodded. "I was just thinking that earlier today. Maybe someday we'll make it back to the enchanted forest, but until then Storybrooke's it." She leaned against the counter, propping her chin in her palm. "And this is the right kind of place to call home."

Leroy poked his head inside the door. "Movies about to start, if you ladies want to see the first bit then you'd better head back to your seats."

The movie was just beginning by the time Emma returned to the bug with two cokes (Henry had a point) and large popcorn. She took a small handful from the bucket and gave it to Hook. "Eat this. Tell me what you think." She watched intently as the captain threw back the kernels, eyebrows raising in surprised. "So? Worth it?"

Hook nodded, reaching for another handful. "A vast improvement over the last thing you told me to eat without asking questions."

Emma didn't have to ask him to clarify, knowing that he still hadn't forgiven her for the Buckley's. "Well I'm glad you like it." She handed him the coke. "In case the rum runs out."

Hook chuckled. "The rum never runs out. Enchantment is a beautiful thing." He punctuated with a swig from the flask, looking pleased with himself.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Then why did you say it was a 'bloody waste' when you poured the stuff on my hand on the beanstalk?"

The pirate looked smug. "It was a bloody waste. The first time I offer you rum and it's being poured through your fingers instead of your lovely lips."

Emma took another handful of popcorn. "Then the coke's insurance against your excuses to get drunk."

This time she got a full-out laugh. "I'll drink it if it should so please you love. Perhaps with a bit of rum."

"That's actually a real thing. Cuba Libre." Emma filled in. "You'll probably like it."

He popped the top off the bottle, throwing back a few swallows before looking up, eyes wide. "That's good stuff." He drank another few swigs. "I've changed my mind. I'll save the rum for another time."

Emma bit her lip to hide her smile. "Well it's not going anywhere."

Hook said nothing, and the opening credits were finishing, so Emma turned her attention to the screen. Mary Margaret and David were only a short distance to their right, Regina and Henry only just beyond them. There were probably close to a hundred people in the lot, which made Emma feel something oddly content in her chest. Henry had a way of bringing people together, not always even by trying very hard. And this was her family. Even Regina and Gold were her family. It was a wild combination, and volatile to say the least, but she couldn't remember a time being happier than with all these people around her.

Hook whistled. "Your father looks rather in touch with his feminine side." He commented happily. "That is a lovely outfit."

Emma laughed quietly, silently agreeing with his assessment of the prince on-screen. "Don't say that too loudly. He's just starting to like you."

"Oh I doubt that." Hook said dryly, reaching for another handful of popcorn. "He might tolerate me, but I have a long way to go before he'll trust me."

He noticed Emma's poignant stare without shame. "You saved his life, why wouldn't he trust you?"

"I saved his life by lying to him. I may have proved my good intentions, but there was no suggestion of honesty." He pulled back a swig of coke in a clear attempt to end the discussion.

Emma let it slide. "Well whatever the case may be, you insulting his cartoon self isn't going to get you any points."

"I won't even mention the lovely Regina."

Emma grinned before she could stop herself. "I sure hope Henry's placating her. Wait until you see her transform."

"I look forward to it." Hook grinned as he looked back at the screen. "She's come a long way since her heart-collecting days."

Emma looked at her son and Regina, laughing and snacking together from under the blanket on the back of David's truck. _When did they move to sit with Mary Margaret and David?_ Emma wondered. She didn't much care. If anything she was pleasantly surprised, and as long as her son was happy, so was she. "She sure has." The fact that Regina felt comfortable enough to laugh around Emma's parents, the very couple she used to hate more than anyone in the world, was a huge sign of her change. Emma felt a smile on her face. _Things could not be more perfect._

The next few minutes or so passed quietly, the odd bout of laughter rippling through the crowd, but otherwise the sound of munching on the wind was the only one outside of the movie.

Emma felt completely taken by the story she'd seen so many times as a child. Maybe it was because it was her _mother_ being pictured in the film, instead of just some fictional fairytale princess. Or maybe it was the way a simple story (and not a completely accurate one) had the ability to bring a whole town together. She looked over at Gold, Belle and Neal. She couldn't remember ever seeing the shop owner so happy, and Neal looked completely relaxed, something he hadn't really had time for since arriving in Storybrooke. Emma knew that the situation with Tamara had taken its toll on him, and she knew that he was doing his best to cope with it, despite the awkwardness of the situation. Emma knew what it was like to have a broken heart. She didn't wish that on anyone, even Neal.

She noticed Hook watching her, and turned to give him a questioning look. "What's up?"

A muscle in his brow twitched slightly. "Nothing to concern yourself with darling."

Emma frowned. "That sounds an awful lot like _something._ Are you going to tell me?"

Hook said nothing for a long moment. Just when Emma was sure he wasn't going to stop acting like a teenage girl, he began. "I've encountered a slight problem since arriving in Storybrooke." The look on his face was completely unimpressed with this situation, him explaining himself to Emma, and she could see that plain as day. He'd bared his heart enough.

"Okay… a problem with what?" Emma knew he was honest about such things, and was counting on it.

"There is a certain… trait, present in Storybrooke, largely to do with your family, your son in particular. I have no problem with the boy, but you understand how Henry seems to have become the darling of the entire population." Another drink. "It presents a barrier of sorts around those close to him. A barrier rather difficult to cross, particularly for a one-handed pirate with a drinking problem."

The offhanded remark hit Emma square between the eyes. She remembered the impression she had gotten on his ship when she'd come to invite him to the movie night. Loneliness. As much as he had denied it earlier, even when she was offering help, she now knew it was true. _More than loneliness, _she realised. _He's an outcast._ She hadn't been wrong. He was feeling forcibly kept from the town and its occupants, and had been for some time now, while Emma had done nothing much about it but offer him entrance, as if it was her lack of invitation that was stopping him. As if that was enough. Before she lost her nerve, she slipped her hand between his and the flask, entwining her fingers with his. "I'm sorry Hook."

He laughed mirthlessly, though her unexpected gesture seemed to have brought a bit of colour back to his humour. "It's not your fault love. I'm the one who invaded with a murderous, heart-thieving witch as my companion, only to cement my reputation by shooting Belle and tormenting the cricket as my prisoner. You said as much yourself."

Emma felt her heart sinking. She knew he was telling the truth, and that was what hurt the most. He _had_ done all sorts of horrible things, and all of Storybrooke knew about them. And she _had _reminded him of that. And the good he'd done, to save Henry in Neverland, he'd done without hardly a pair of eyes to notice them. _But I noticed,_ Emma thought. _And if _I _know there's good here, then maybe it's _my_ job to vouch for it._ "You're not the man you used to be." She squeezed his hand once before extracting it and reaching for the popcorn. "You saved my father, and helped me save my son. Even if no one saw that, it means that you're not all bad. I said that before too, if you were listening."

Hook said nothing, watching the screen intently. Snow White was in the process of cleaning up the dwarves' cottage, whistling and singing all the while. In many ways, he felt like that's what he'd been trying to do with the _Jolly Roger_ in the past week. As if all he needed was a clean ship to get the clean slate he needed. It seemed fresh starts were a little harder to come by than he'd foolishly believed.

And yet, here was this woman beside him, who knew all the reasons why he _didn't_ deserve a fresh start, and yet was willing to give him one. The lost girl. If anyone knew about new beginnings, it was Emma Swan. It was one of the reasons Hook had grown to love her as he did. Perhaps he hadn't told her, in as many words, but he _had_ made his feelings clear enough back in Neverland. And despite the fact that she hadn't made her station clear on the issue, despite the fact that she still obviously held some feelings for Henry's father, and despite the fact that she never spoke of that moment they had shared back in the jungle, Hook knew that there was hope. And hope was something he could fight for. Hope for revenge had driven him for hundreds of years, but hope for love could certainly outlast even that.

He looked at Emma, snuggled warmly beneath the same blankets that had kept the cold from him the night previous. He could fight for her. And if it took him twice as long as it had to come to peace with Rumplestiltskin, he would fight. She was worth it.

"I was listening, love."

She smiled softly. "Good."

The rest of the movie lasted in amiable silence between them. Emma noticed a few looks here and there from other groups, wondering about the pirate and the savior snuggled together under a blanket, but Emma didn't care. She'd made up her mind. If her family was the heart of this town the way Hook suggested, her family would be the ones to accept Hook first.

_"Once there was a princess."_

_"Was the princess you?"_

_"And she fell in love."_

_"Was it hard to do?"_

_"It was very easy! Anyone could see that the prince was charming, the only one for me."_

_"Was he strong, and handsome?"_

_"Was he big and tall?"_

_"There was nobody like him, anywhere at all."_

_"Did he say he loved ya?"_

_"Did he steal a kiss?"_

_"He was so romantic, I could not resist…_

_Someday, my prince will come,_

_Someday, we'll meet again,_

_And away to his castle we'll go,_

_To be happy forever, I know._

_Someday, when spring is here,_

_We'll find our love again,_

_And the birds will sing,_

_And wedding bells will ring,_

_Someday, when my dreams come true."_

Emma looked over at her parents, her heart twisting at the sight of Mary Margaret's head on David's shoulder. She turned back to the screen, at the dwarves enraptured by Snow White's beautiful singing. _They deserve that kind of happy ending. _Emma thought. _'Happy forever' and all that. _She looked over again at her parents and almost gasped aloud. It was a private moment, one not even Henry and Regina noticed.

Emma's eyes were wide. _No way. No way no way no way. _A smile lit up her face, and a deep sigh escaped her lips.

_They deserve it._

Hook gave her a quizzical look at her strange behavior, but Emma didn't care. She didn't care about almost anything in those moments.

She found herself sighing a lot more after that, the whole movie taking on a new light. She wasn't emotional, she never really had been, but something about seeing the dwarves crying over that glass coffin got her. Snow White—her _mother_—laying still as dead inside of it… she found herself squeezing the empty coke bottle to avoid embarrassing herself. Happy endings were such a blessing.

"So what did you think?"

Emma looked up at her son peering over the hood of her car. "I loved it." Her smile was nothing if not genuine.

"It's cool watching it when you know everyone. Henry leaned on the yellow bug, looking almost dreamy. "Even if it was wrong."

Regina appeared behind the boy at that moment, and Emma's smile faded. _Uh oh…_ "Hey… what did you think?"

The woman offered a small smile. "Well, no one seems to hate me now more than before, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been."

Emma resisted laughing nervously. "I'm glad. Disney sure takes things to extremes." _Not the brightest of comments._

Hook stood. "And there seems to be a theme of who gets the worst of it." He tilted his head slightly. "Your majesty."

Regina crinkled her nose slightly. "Yes… well needless to say, I think _we're_ both looking forward to Stiltskin's moment in the spotlight."

Hook grinned wickedly. "Small mercies."

"Okay… well it was nice talking to you." Henry smiled at Emma and Hook in turn. "See you guys tomorrow. Come on Mom." He took Regina's hand, steering her back towards their vehicle.

"Quite a lad." Hook mused. He turned to Emma, eyebrows raised, gesturing to the bug. "Shall we?"

Emma kept her blanket wrapped around her shoulders for the drive back to the docks. It was a clear night, which made for beautiful stars, but nasty temperatures.

Hook exited the car just outside of the Jolly Roger, bowing slightly to Emma as she handed him the blanket. "Keep it darling. It's a valuable piece to have."

Emma said nothing, just wrapped it back around her shoulders.

"Thank you for inviting me, Emma." His gaze was trained right on her, and she couldn't quite meet it.

She fidgeted. "You're welcome." Her name in his mouth was a breathy thing, and it never ceased to give her a strange feeling. "I'll make sure to tell you when the next one is."

"I should like that."

Emma shifted her weight, looking down. Her mind was in turmoil, and this pirate was completely not helping.

"Emma darling," Hook tipped up her chin, forcing her to meet his cool blue stare. "what's the matter?"

A forced smile. "Nothing."

He frowned. "I was nothing less than honest with you. I ask only the same thing."

Her gut twisted. "I thought _I _was the one with the superpower?" She tried to laugh.

"Emma."

She didn't look away. She wanted to, but that was childish. "Nothing's really wrong. I just have a lot to think about."

The cool metal of his rings moved to her cheek, her ear. "As do I, love."

No one moved. The stars themselves held their breath. The spell was broken after an eternity when Hook moved.

His lips had just touched her when Emma woke. All she could see was Mary Margaret and David, on the back of the pickup truck, snuggling close.

His hand moving to her stomach, hers over his, the shared look between them. That _smile._ That this-is-the-truest-love-in-all-the-realms _smile._

Emma pulled back more forcefully than necessary. Was that what she had with Hook?

She looked up at the man, sure by the look in his eyes that he saw right through her. Did he know how worried she was? Worrying that she would never be able to risk things like her parents could? Worried she was never going to be able to love someone _so_ much?

"Goodnight, love."

Emma felt her throat stinging. _I told him it was a one-time thing. He had no right—_

Hook's retreating back stared back at her defiantly, despite its rejection. He was risking things too.

Despite not being an emotional person, there was a single tear on Emma's cheek as she walked through her front door five minutes later.


	4. Disney's The Lion King

**6101719****: Wow so a lot has happened since I last wrote, and it hasn't even been that long! I officially have this entire fic all planned out, with all of the movies our OUaT crew is going to watch and when, as well as themes and a general outline for each episode. Thank you ALL for your amazing ideas and advice and compliments; they all feel special to me and have helped shape this story all the way to its (hopefully satisfying) end. **

**And now the first of two small things. The first is that I might rename this fic, as "Movie Night" just seems kind of bleh. If enough of you are strongly against this idea then I will reconsider, but I just wanted to let you know ahead of time so you don't lose track of this fic if the name changes. (I ****_can_**** change the name, right?)**

**Secondly, I have this... other fic idea floating around in my head that is sheer torture, and might end up getting written. It's super embarrassing and silly, but also looking adorable and practically writing itself. It would be a re-telling of a Disney classic that is a favourite of mine (I'm not saying what because you'll probs laugh) but would anyone be interested in that? It would be something kind of like a ****_Beastly_**** or ****_A Cinderella Story,_**** only in an AU that wasn't modern. Anyway. If people want me to write in then I'll start sooner; if they don't then I'll wait until this fic has some more momentum before getting into anything new.**

**That's it for now. Here's another rather long chapter for all of you fantastic individuals.**

**Much love from Frick to you all.**

* * *

**Setting:** A week after the drive-in and Emma hasn't seen Hook once. But she's had not a lot of time to think about the pirate, not with the dinner with her parents and the promise of big news just around the corner.

* * *

"Does everything look okay?" Mary Margaret straightened out the tablecloth once, twice, rearranging the pots on the deep green surface until her husband finally pulled her away.

"Everything looks great. You don't have to be worried." David pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. "They'll be here any minute. Why don't you go get dressed?"

Mary Margaret pulled away, untying the strings of her apron hastily. "You're right. I'm just not sure how Emma's going to react. Or Henry. I mean, he's already twelve."

"He just turned twelve a couple weeks ago Snow. It'll be okay. And Emma will understand."

Mary Margaret stripped out of her loose t-shirt and old jeans, struggling into a pair of tights. "Yes, she'll understand, but will she like it? She'll have a brother or sister thirty years younger than her!"

David chuckled from the kitchen. "That's pretty much par of the course with our family tree. Have you ever really thought about how crazy our family already is?"

"My step-mother is also my grandson's adoptive mother." Snow shook her head, buttoning up her shirt. "And if what Regina said was true, then my step-grandmother also had a thing with Henry's grandfather on the other side." She smoothes the skirt out over her stomach, imagining all the new clothes she would need when the new baby started taking up more room. _Boy or girl? I wonder if I still have that pendant—_

"It's strange to think that at one point there were five generations of our family all alive and under sixty. Well, in a manner of speaking."

Snow stepped back out into the kitchen. "I don't even want to think about it. I remember teaching Henry and his class about family trees, and getting them to draw them out… I can't even imagine how that would look now."

David chuckled. "Well it sure would make family get-togethers an interesting experience."

Mary Margaret looked up from the oven. "It _would._ But that doesn't mean we shouldn't have them." The wheels in her head were already turning, David could see it.

He held up his hands. "Mary Margaret, I know this is pretty exciting, but we can't get ahead of ourselves here—

"Christmas David." She gave him a pointed look. "It's just over a month away. We have this new house, and everyone's already getting along so well…"

"Snow," David pleaded. "Can we just take things as they come?"

Mary Margaret stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She smiled sweetly. "If we don't seize the opportunities as they come, who knows how many we'll miss?"

He smoothes back a piece of her hair. "I know. And I'm not saying it's a bad idea. But we already have one milestone ahead of us." He slipped his hand between them, resting his palm on her belly. "One step at a time."

"I love you Charming."

"I love you too." He kissed her lips swiftly. "I'll get the roast from the oven. You can be in charge of getting the door." He smiled at her.

"If this is you trying to take the credit for my cooking, you're going to need to try a little harder." Snow grinned as she stepped towards the living room.

David laughed. "I appear to be caught red handed. I'm sure no one will think I was responsible for this, if it tastes as good as it smells."

Mary Margaret sat on the couch, resting her feet on the ottoman with a sigh. She had only found out she was pregnant a week and a half ago, and could hardly believe it. It had seemed like a dream come true to know about the little life growing inside her, and every time she looked at Charming it was like she could feel the baby already moving around, wanting to meet his or her family.

She placed a gentle hand on her belly, reminding herself this was all very real. She had a family. Even if it was the weirdest collection of misfits in either this world or any other, it was _hers._ She had a daughter that she was immeasurably proud of, and a grandson who seemed to steal more of her heart every day. But she had missed most of their lives up until this point, and that hurt. Like a perpetual nagging in her gut, she felt guilty for not having been there to kiss Emma's scraped knees, to spoil Henry when Emma was out of town, or to listen to either of them nervously asking if they could snuggle away their bad dreams.

This baby was her chance to make up for it. She would never get those years back with either Emma or Henry, but she could give herself and her husband a chance to alleviate some of that pain. And Emma too. Being a big sister at twenty-nine wasn't what she had planned, if Snow was to guess, but she hoped she would learn to love this new member of her family, and help her the way Mary Margaret should have helped Emma.

The doorbell rang, jarring her from her thoughts. She slipped back into her flats and made her way to the door, opening it to see Emma and Henry just outside.

"Hey," Emma smiled as she handed over a tin box. "Henry helped me make some cookies. He said shortbread were your favourites; I hope he wasn't wrong."

"He's not." Mary Margaret beamed as she took the box from Emma. "Thank you so much! Both of you." She gave Henry a sweet smile as she stepped aside to let them in. "David just finished making the roast."

The husband in question could be heard laughing all the way from the kitchen.

Henry looked a bit skeptical. "Gramps cooks?"

"Not nearly as well as Mary Margaret." David appeared in the hall. "But everything's ready when you are."

The four of them enjoyed an absolutely mouth-watering supper, but Mary Margaret found she could hardly remember any of it. She kept watching the interactions between father and daughter, mother and son, praying her news would go over well.

She stood and began taking plates. "We'll have the cookies for dessert, and I'll make some hot chocolate and coffee to go with it."

"And then will you tell us the news?" Henry picked up his own plate before Mary Margaret could reach it, taking it to the dishwasher.

Emma did the same. "He hasn't been able to stop thinking about it since yesterday." She confessed. "I haven't heard the end of what he thinks it might be."

Snow and Charming exchanged a quick look. "Well next time we have big news maybe we'll just spring it on you."

Emma smiled. "That would save a lot of guessing games, that's for sure." She took the plates and stuck them in the machine.

"Where do you want the food?" Henry came in with a pot of beans in his hands, David a step behind him with the roast.

"On the stove for now please. Thank you Henry." Mary Margaret began making the drinks as the other three cleared the table. "Does everyone want cinnamon in their hot chocolate?"

Three yeses brought a smile to her face. She remembered when she'd first given Emma hot chocolate, before the curse was broken, and she hadn't even thought about asking her. She hadn't ever met anyone who liked their hot chocolate like that before her, and as foolish as it sounded, even in the confines of her own mind, she thought it was special. As far as she knew, it was their only unique family quirk.

She frowned as she stirred in the syrup. _We don't really have any family traditions either. No framed photos on the wall, no embarrassing stories, no inside jokes, no trip photo albums—_

That stopped her. She curled her lips in slightly, trying to keep the smile off her face. _I can't imagine what _those_ would look like!_ She imagined an action shot of her shooting an ogre in the eye, Emma talking to Cora, Snow and Aurora passed out on the grass. Regina and Emma reunited with Henry, there were so many.

"What are you smiling about?" Emma took two of the mugs from her hands, a curious expression on her face.

"Oh, it's silly." Mary Margaret shook her head, but couldn't quite keep her lips from curving.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Okay, but whatever it is it's cracking you up. Spill."

David and Henry had turned to listen. Mary Margaret stuck out her tongue slightly, still grinning like a fool. "I was just thinking, this is the only thing our family has that's kind of normal." She raised the mugs, gesturing to the stick of cinnamon. "I was thinking of all the other things normal families have. Pictures, stories, that kind of thing. And of course, the photo albums filled with shots of their trips."

Emma's eyes widened, then she laughed. "Ours would look ridiculous!"

"I know! That's why I was laughing!" She chuckled slightly. "No _normal_ family would believe them!"

"It would look like someone gone a little overboard with photoshop." David mused, a smile cracking his face even wider.

Henry laughed. "Imagine ones from Neverland. On the Jolly Roger on the way home."

"A pirate ship sailing through the clouds." Emma shook her head. "Or all those sour looks you were giving David in the dark forest."

Mary Margaret blushed, and David took her hand, laughing. "At least we can joke about it now."

"Or how about David's puppy eyes trying to get me to talk to him." Snow teased, winking up at her husband.

"Wow, I wish someone had brought a camera with them." Henry sighed, a small smile still on his face. "I'm sure we'll have more adventures. We'll have to bring one then."

"Absolutely kiddo." David agreed. "But I'm kind of adventured-out for a while. Relaxing these past few weeks has been incredible."

Emma nodded. "Not running for your life is so peaceful."

"And boring!" Henry teased. "I'm glad to be back too, but our family's all about adventure!"

"That we are, Henry." Snow smiled. _This is it. _"And speaking of family, I think now's as good a time as ever to announce that our family's about to get a little bigger."

Emma's jaw dropped, and Henry's too, a moment later.

"No way!" Emma took a tentative step closer to Mary Margaret, reaching out to touch her stomach. "In the caves, you said you wanted this." Her smile melted Snow's heart. "And you got it. I'm so happy for you." She hugged her mother tightly, and Mary Margaret could see David's eyes shining.

Henry turned to his grandfather, hand outstretched. "Congratulations Gramps." David laughed and shook his hand, pulling him in for a hug. "Do you know if it's going to be a boy or a girl?"

Mary Margaret shook her head. "Not yet. It's too soon, and we haven't decided if we want to be surprised yet."

"More surprise sounds like just the thing for our family." Emma joked. "I think it's going to be a boy."

"Me too." Henry nodded. "You already have a girl, so a boy would be fair." His eyes lit up. "Hey! I know what we should do to celebrate!"

"And what's that?" Snow asked, reaching for the cookie tin.

"The Lion King! It's been a week since our last movie night, so we have to carry on the tradition!"

_Tradition? _Snow felt her heart take a leap. "I think that's a great idea. We can head over to Emma's after…" She stopped, staring into the cookie tin. She looked up, and Emma was smiling sheepishly.

"It was Henry's idea."

The twelve-year-old grinned impishly.

Snow lifted a cookie, showing them to her husband. Each one of them was carefully frosted in a perfect red apple, shining and delicious-looking.

David's jaw worked for a moment. "Interesting choice, Henry."

"I thought we could use some good memories of apples." He shrugged. "Are you mad?"

"No, no I'm just surprised." Mary Margaret looked at him for a moment before chuckling and shaking her head. "What are we going to do with you?"

"Make me a nephew, from the sounds of things." Henry quipped. "Eat one, they're really good."

Snow took a bite, eyebrows arching. "You're very right." She passed the tin around, then gave out the hot chocolates. "Let's go eat these in the table and plan out the evening."

* * *

It was decided that they would invite the whole extended family for the movie, and host it at Snow and Charming's instead. Emma reasoned that if no one was offended by the drive-in the week prior, they had nothing to worry about for any of the other movies, so it made sense to avoid offending anyone by _not_ inviting them.

Every time she thought of the drive-in, she could only think of her parents. She'd done a pretty good job of feigning surprise when Mary Margaret had announced the baby, which she was proud of herself for. And now that she'd had a full week to privately come to terms with this change, she knew had no excuse for her behaviour with Hook. Her parents' love had created her, and all the opportunities that came with life itself. She couldn't possibly use it as an excuse to deny herself anything they would want for her, when they'd given up everything for her.

She fidgeted with her car keys as she sat by the docks. She remembered her conversation with Mary Margaret as David and Henry had been playing foosball in the basement.

"You and Hook seemed to be getting along well at the drive-in." A sip of her hot chocolate, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, Henry told me to invite him and then went and sat with Regina. It was a little strange, but it _was_ nice of him."

"Which, sitting with Regina or inviting Hook?"

Emma thought. "Both. I mean there was some real potential for her to be offended by the movie. And Hook's got no family or anyone here." She shrugged. "It was the least I could do." Her conscience tugged. It's not that it was a lie, but she knew that she wouldn't have left Hook anyway, not with all he'd done to help her. To blame that sentiment on anything else felt vaguely dishonest.

Her mother's face softened. "I hadn't even thought of that." She looked away, thinking. "That must be so lonely, out in the ship all by himself."

Emma's heart twisted. "Yeah. I haven't seen him since that evening."

She looked down at the pressure of Mary Margaret's hand over hers. "Maybe we should invite him tonight."

"I'm not sure how that would go over." Emma excused quickly. "I wouldn't want people getting the wrong idea. Or him, and Neal will be there, so I'll have enough to worry about."

"Emma," her voice was soft. "What's wrong?"

How had her mother learned to read her so well already? "Well we didn't part ways under the greatest of circumstances."

Snow said nothing for a long time. "Wanna talk about it?"

Emma sighed. "Not really. I know you're right." She gave her mother a half smile. "I _should_ invite him."

"If there's a rift, that might be a good way to start mending it. And you don't have to worry about anyone getting the wrong idea." She smiled, squeezing her daughter's hand. "I know your father may not be overly fond of Hook. But he saved David's life." She looked down. "I can't ever repay him for that." When she turned back to her daughter, her eyes were determined. "I don't mean to force you into anything. But whatever you choose, I support you. Hook isn't the man I thought he was, and if you care for him, in any way at all, then I think that's something special."

Emma felt like her throat had closed up. "Thank you." She hugged her mother, taking a shaky breath. "Thank you."

She looked out at the ocean, the soft splashing of the tide bringing her back to the present. _Did_ she care about Hook? Absolutely. She hadn't figured out just how much, or in what kind of ways, but she knew that, if nothing else, she cared about how he was alone right then, and she had a family. Her family had been a surprise—a gift really—considering her status as an orphan mere years ago. Loneliness was something she didn't wish on anyone.

She opened the door to the car and stepped out into the November air. It was the warmest night in easily a month. The cold that had come through Storybrooke and hung around promised a bitter winter, and days like today had to be appreciated.

She put her hands in her pocket, rubbing her thumb over the unfamiliar surface of the keychain. Henry had given it to her a few days prior; the design was a small circle of hammered metal, a dark background with silver stars raised of its surface. He'd said it reminded him of Neverland, and he wanted to give it to her to remind her of that adventure. She could still see his small smile, telling her that he didn't need one because he was never going to forget how far she'd gone to save him.

Emma swallowed. She would never have forgotten either. She wouldn't forget about saving her son, nor the part that all these others had played in helping her.

She looked up at the Jolly Roger. Hook was far from the least of those. He'd been invaluable with his knowledge of the island, not to mention the use of his ship.

The boards creaked under her feet as she looked around. She checked the rigging first, not wanting another surprise drop-in (literally) from the captain.

Not seeing him, Emma made her way to his cabin. There was a slight draft across the deck, caused less by the wind and more by the emptiness. She tried to imagine the Jolly Roger out on the open sea, under a blazing sun and covered in sailors going about their jobs in their loud and practiced way.

She knocked on the cabin door. "Hook?"

The door opened jerkily, revealing a disheveled captain in only his breeches. "Swan!"

"Uh, hi." Emma fought to keep her composure. _Not the first time I've seen a shirtless man. Not the first time the man I'm looking for opens his door shirtless. Not the first time Hook's made me feel like a stupid teenage girl._

She kept her eyes trained on his face.

"I can't say I expected to see you back here." He scratched the back of his head, his torso stretching in the process, severely testing Emma's resolve. "Is everything alright?"

"We're having another movie night. At Mary Margaret and David's, and you're invited."

He smirked. "The lad's sending you again?"

"Actually, no." Emma almost bit her tongue. "This time _I'm _inviting you."

His face was a mask. "I see. Who's the star of tonight's show?"

"Hamlet." Emma exhaled. "And as far as I know, no Shakespeare characters made it to Storybrooke, so it's safe."

Hook raised an eyebrow. "Hamlet? I saw that one when I was a boy, I believe. A strange choice."

"Well technically it's actually The Lion King, which is the kid-friendly version. Less suicide and unhappy endings."

"Ah. Well, I'll clear some room in my schedule for it."

Emma was glad to hear the teasing back in his voice. "Alright. Well, we're starting soon, just stopping to get some snacks first. So you can get dressed and come with me."

"Dressed?" He did far too good a job at looking shocked.

Emma gave him a look, but he only grinned and winked.

"As you wish, m'lady." He stepped back inside his cabin, not bothering to close the door. "Will I have the pleasure of visiting with the whole family this evening?"

"Yep. We're inviting everyone who could possibly be related to Henry." She averted her eyes, finding his body and its labour-hardened muscles altogether too distracting. "Regina, Gold, Belle, and Neal." She hesitated. "That's not going to be a problem, right?"

Hook tipped his head, looking at her through his lowered eyelids. "Not at all darling." He buttoned up his shirt, an interesting feat considering the tools at his disposal.

"Good." Emma avoided looking at the buttons and the man behind them for any longer. "I don't want to have to scrape you off another street shoulder."

"Oh but it was so much fun the first time." Hook ignored the top few buttons, grabbing a grey zip-up from the closet.

_Where is he getting all these clothes?_ "If that's your definition of enjoyable, then there are some serious issues you have to work through."

His expression let Emma know her mistake. "I have other ideas of what's enjoyable too, darling, in case you were worried." He pulled a black jacket over his sweater. It was leather—of course it was—with cotton sleeves. He looked like something you would see in a magazine.

"You're hilarious." She said sarcastically. "Almost ready?"

"Patience love." Wool socks and loosely laced Doc Martens completed his change. He stretched. "Shall we?"

The drive back to the Charmings was interrupted only by a quick stop to the corner store for Doritos and coke. Hook was pleased to see his "second favourite bottled drink" was coming with them.

Gold and Neal were still missing by the time Hook and Emma walked through the basement door. David gave them a respectful nod, which Hook returned. Mary Margaret barely had time to smile encouragingly before Henry piped up from the couch.

"Hey Captain. I didn't know you were coming." He smiled, looking pleased, as if he'd had something to do with it.

"Nor did I until a few moments ago." He looked at Emma, then back to Henry, who nodded, understanding.

"Well you can sit on the couch with me and Mom." He patted the seat beside him.

Emma moved in beside her son, Regina on the other side. Hook eased down to her right, stretching his legs in front of them. He looked around the room, from the flat screen to the fooseball and airhockey, then back to the massive couches. He raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Quite the set up you've got here, Charming."

David gave another curt nod. "Thank you. It's what we wanted; a place where we could have the whole family over to hang out."

Emma nearly winced. The last thing Hook needed was a reminder that they had a family and he didn't.

But the pirate only smiled.

Emma was thankful, as that was the exact moment Gold and Neal walked through the door.

From her seat right beside Hook, Emma saw him tense. The muscle right above his jawbone flexed, but he gave no real obvious reaction to the presence of the crocodile.

In another set of circumstances it might have been comical, the way father and son raised their eyebrows simultaneously at the sight of the pirate. Neal appeared slightly confused, and maybe even a touch hurt, but that didn't bother Emma half as much as the look on Gold's face; he looked like someone had just given him the best news he's heard all day. The man's eyes shifted across the room to where Belle stood chatting with Mary Margaret. Only once he seemed satisfied that she was, in fact, completely unhurt, he turned away.

Emma felt her shoulders slowly relax, now that she knew Gold wasn't about to jump on the chance to go after Hook again. It reminded her of her time in the foster system. The apprehensiveness in the atmosphere as you waited to learn whether or not this foster parent was as forgiving as the last. In one family a broken plate was an accident, and your only responsibility was to clean up the shards. But in another house it was an infraction, an abomination, and it meant that you would be eating no dinner off that dish or any other until your uncomfortable sentence had been served.

This situation, thankfully, was more like the former. The subtle tenseness of the room dissipated, and before too long everyone was talking amongst themselves, not causing any trouble.

Emma looked at Hook again, noticing the purposeful relaxation of his shoulders. He really was trying.

Without any announcement, Henry got up and put the cassette into the VCR, adjusting the channel and volume. He stood up on the ottoman, clearing his throat.

"Excuse me, but the movie is beginning, and we ask that you all make your way to your seats as quickly as possible." He grinned, clearly impressed with his cordiality.

Regina chuckled. "I suppose I should be more careful about how loudly I practice mayoral addresses in the house."

"At least he didn't say anything about how we're calling this session to order." Emma pointed out. "Then we all would know who to blame for his precociousness."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." There was an edge to Regina's voice.

"It's not." Emma clarified. "He's a smart kid."

Regina's smile was only slightly delayed. "I know."

Henry sat down between them, just as the opening lines of _Circle of Life_ started. "This one has always been one of my favourites. Timon and Pumbaa are my favourite."

"Hey, I haven't seen this one before." Regina chided, squeezing his shoulder teasingly. "No spoiling!"

Henry smiled.

Mary Margaret sat down on the other side of Hook, along one side of the U-shaped couch. Gold, Belle and Neal sat down on the other, and just before David killed the lights, Emma saw the quiet look her old flame sent towards her.

She directed her attention back towards the television. The music was always Emma's favourite part of this movie. The songs were all catchy and beautiful, even the more twisted ones, like Be Prepared.

As had become a bit of a custom, Emma found herself watching her companions as much as the movie. She, Neal, and Henry were the only ones who had seen it before, and it showed as the film progressed.

At the announcement of Simba's birth, Emma watched her parents. The subtle looks exchanged, the tender way he reached for her hand, it was a little much at times, the gooeyness of it all, but Emma couldn't keep herself from being happy with him.

_I'm going to be a sister. A REAL sister. _It hadn't really occurred to Emma that this was something she'd wanted. But she supposed it was a side-effect of wanting parents. A full sibling was a reminder that your parents were real, that they were together, that there was hope of a real family.

Emma looked around the room, at all the faces in rapt attention to the little lion on the screen. They _were_ her family. Even without this new baby. They were the people who cared for her and hers, who had fought to save the most important person to her: Henry. They maybe didn't all get along, they maybe didn't even all like each other at times. They weren't perfect. But they were _hers._ They were permanent. They weren't going to leave her for this new baby, as some foster parents had done. They weren't going to decide she wasn't worth the trouble. They would fight, but they wouldn't break ties.

And wasn't that all she'd ever wanted?

* * *

The movie about the power-hungry young lion cub was a very interesting one, of this Hook was quite sure.

He remembered enough of the story of Hamlet that he wasn't shocked by the evil uncle Scar, though he did have to admit the death of the large lion, Mufasa, his name was, did affect Hook in ways he hadn't quite expected.

As little Simba poked around his father's body, crying and pleading, a tight vise curled around Hook's heart. He knew how it felt to lose the person closest to you. To be left with nothing but to hold them and weep, knowing they were a better person than you could hope to be, struck with the cruelty of fate choosing to take their life over yours, when you would have given up anything for that person.

First Liam, and then Milah. His family was torn apart by death, time, and betrayal. In that way, he felt like little Simba, confused and lost, overcome with agony and failure.

He looked at Emma, who was holding her son's hand. Beyond them, the queen looked like she had swallowed a rock. Her lips were pressed together tightly, too tightly to be doing anything but keeping in a sob. All Hook knew was that he'd ordered him to kill her own mother, and then supposedly killed Cora herself, by accident. He hadn't thought she and her mother were close (he didn't imagine it was a very loving relationship that consisted of mutual attempts at murder from time to time) but perhaps this was about her father. He'd never met the man, but perhaps Regina had favoured him.

His eyes returned to Emma, as he knew they would. Her affection for her son was touching, but also maddening. He could still feel the pressure of her fingers around his from their last movie together, even though the contact had been brief. But he also could still see the gaze she'd shifted around the room, open appraisal of these people. Her family. Something Hook would never again have, as likely as not.

Hook knew jealousy was unbecoming, particularly of the woman you loved, but he couldn't help himself. She had given him more than an invitation to a film that evening, and it meant more than she could ever know. He was touched by her sharing her family with him, but there was nothing he could do to return the favour. The brief kiss they'd shared a week prior had solidified things for him; Emma didn't love him as he loved her, but she _did_ care. She cared enough to help him, even unknowingly. And it was good she'd asked nothing in return, as Hook had nothing to offer.

On the screen, the young Simba was being rescued by a strange pig creature and a rodent of some sort. Hook watched, captivated, as the creatures now known as Timon and Pumbaa took in the lion cub as they would a friend. Like a brother. Like they, too, were a family.

He shifted in his seat. Perhaps blood wasn't the only way to forge a family. If Simba's own uncle could kill his father, and attempt to see him killed as well, then perhaps these adopted brothers would be better even than blood.

Killian Jones was a boy whose father abandoned him. Killian Jones was a left tenant whose king killed his brother. Killian Jones was a man of Captain Hook's past, but he would never leave him. Killian Jones had no family. Captain Hook needed none.

And yet, what of Emma? What of this fierce desire that saturated his very being in want for her love? Was family not love itself in action? If that's what he wanted with Emma—a chance to be accepted and needed and appreciated—then was that not the same as wanting family? He could admit he was in love with her, he could admit he felt envious of the bond she shared with her family, then surely he could admit that perhaps being a part of this family was what he wanted too.

Nala, the love interest of the dear Simba, reappeared on screen, and Hook felt the corner of his lip twitch upwards. _Sometimes even the lost boy gets the happy ending._

* * *

David watched intently as Simba stepped towards the edge of Pride Rock. He wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders as the camera did a wide pan of the scene, the lion roaring in triumph, his family all around him for support.

He was sure that there wasn't a person in the room who wasn't touched by the movie. The part of him that was Prince Charming had to admit that he missed the Enchanted Forest, but David Nolan, at that moment, could not have been more content than sitting there with his family, experiencing this type of magic completely absent in their old realm. The story of a son losing a friend and confidant in his father was something he reckoned everyone in the room could relate to, and the power in that unity was not to be understated.

The room seemed to sigh as the end credits began to roll, David included. He took this opportunity to look across to Gold and Belle. He had never seen the older man so at ease in his life. Belle's head was leaning just slightly on his shoulder, and Gold looked like the king of the world, with his son on his other side. He hadn't even said a word about Hook, for which David was grateful.

This brought the prince's attention to the pirate sitting between his wife and daughter. He resisted frowning, not wanting to ruin the tranquility of his thoughts. He didn't entirely trust Hook, and he didn't expect that to change the more he spent time with Emma. He loved his daughter, and that made him protective. What father couldn't relate to that? He couldn't deny that the captain had saved his life, and risked his own hide to do it, but that didn't mean he approved of him cozying up to Emma. He was still a pirate, even if he was also... what? What was he?

David would have to think more on it. For now it was enough that he had had a daughter for only a short time, and he wasn't ready to give her up just yet.

His attention traveled to where Emma sat smiling and talking with Henry. His heart swelled. He was so proud of her. She wasn't his baby girl, but he was getting his second chance at that in a few months. She was Emma, the woman who'd saved an entire world with only her son to help her. She'd become an incredible person, and a great parent.

David thought back to young Simba, crying at his father's side. Emma had been given every orphan's dream; she'd gotten _her_ father back. David knew it deep in his heart that he owed it to all the orphans in the world to make sure that his daughter never felt like one of them _ever_ again.


End file.
